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Pitcher Garrett Richards was moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation after starter Jered Weaver was placed on the disabled list. However, the Los Angeles Angels have decided to shuffle the pitching staff and place Richards back in the bullpen.
“We definitely need to look at shuffling some things around to get a deeper look in our bullpen. There’s no doubt about that, first and foremost,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told Angels.com. “Garrett Richards’ arm in the bullpen is definitely a power arm that we hope can take some of the pressure off the guys that are pitching a lot there.”
Richards does have a good arm that should be utilized in the bullpen, but I have to imagine his back-to-back dismal performances had something to do with the decision. The right-hander allowed 12 earned runs on 17 hits while striking out nine batters in his last 12 2/3 innings pitched over two starts. The Angels lost both games, something that did not sit well with Scioscia. Overall, Richards is 1-2 with a 5.54 earned run average in four starts this season.
Taking the 24-year-old’s place in the starting rotation will be Jerome Williams. The 31-year-old is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 11 strikeouts in eight appearances in the bullpen this year. He also has not given up a run in his last 13 innings on the mound. After he allowed an unearned run in six innings on April 29, Los Angeles decided he deserved a shot in the rotation.
“The way Jerome has been throwing the ball in his multi-inning looks has been what we expected and what we saw in some of his starts last year,” Scioscia said, according to Angels.com.
